“Shortening is very much cheaper, but it has a really different texture and cheaper baked goods use it, but I think it’s a real trade-away. It gives you an odd mouth feel and not the same flavour as butter,” she says.

There’s a real joy in slowing down in the kitchen. Gone is the frantic stress of trying to get dinner on the table in an instant and in its place comes a different type of gentle cooking. It allows beautiful smells to waft through the house and ingredients to mingle and develop over time into something deep, rich and flavourful.

I love lamb in all its guises: lamb chops, lamb stew, rack of lamb, ground lamb, souvlaki... You name it, I dig it. But my favourite is a big old leg of lamb, seasoned and roasted, with each succulent slice landing on the plate like a steak unto itself.

Nothing pairs quite so well with a midwinter day as an herb-crusted slab of meat roasting alongside a few root vegetables. And to toast that roast you’ll want a rich, flavourful wine that can stand up to the snappiest of cold snaps.

They sound simple. Crostini, that is. Slices of bread that have been brushed with olive oil and toasted, then topped with something that need be no more complex than a sprinkle of salt and a generous rub with a fresh garlic clove. Of course, something more complex is nice, too. I’m talking to you, tomato and Parmesan and anchovy.